


Be Prepared! (For what?)

by Vexicle



Series: Foxglove [1]
Category: Original Work
Genre: Awkwardness, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-06-12
Updated: 2018-06-12
Packaged: 2019-05-21 08:55:49
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,799
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14912348
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Vexicle/pseuds/Vexicle
Summary: Everything is okay - she's only gonna meet her boyfriend's parents and then get out of there in one piece, so everything's A-okay!





	Be Prepared! (For what?)

“Okay, great, okay! Right. You, uh… you wanna be prepared.”

Kaoru just smiles as she watches Fox tap his foot agitatedly against the lift floor, wiping his hands against his jeans. “That's still better than them biting my head off, right?”

“I mean - yeah I… I guess, it's good to be prepared, like -”

“Fox, it's okay. They're your parents, right?” Kaoru hesitates as the lift dings and opens up. _I bet they won't be so happy with me dating him. Aren't all parents like that?_

“Well.” Fox follows his girlfriend outside, pausing for a while before realising that of _course_ Kaoru wouldn't know where to go. “Right, so, uh, they're a little… a lot happy to meet you.” Fox fumbles with his keys. The sound of the lock turning seems impossibly loud to Kaoru. 

A voice calls out, sounding a little further inside the apartment, “Fox, sweetie, is that you?” 

“Your mom?” Kaoru whispers, her heart suddenly thudding in her chest.

“One of them,” Fox replies, and is cut off by the door suddenly shooting open and being muffled by strong arms. Kaoru finds herself looking up at her - with blonde hair cut into a neat bob, her grey eyes shimmering with love.

“And how was school today?” A second voice, deeper, sounds behind her. Then Kaoru lets out a little squeak as dark brown eyes are trained on her.

The brunette finds herself being _attacked_ , almost, with the pseudo-predatory way they swoop upon her. Their faces are wrinkled, but their gazes are kind and youthful.

“Aww, Fox, is this the girl you were telling us about?” 

“Oh, I’d never have any idea! She's almost too good for you!”

“ _Ma_ ,” Fox says exasperatedly, but fondly. “Don't scare her. Can we please go inside?”

Kaoru finds herself being taken by the hand and led inside. She feels the urge to brush her hair nervously, but would that be considered vain or something? She feels the urge to impress them, or if not impress, at least convince Fox’s parents that she’s dateable material. She can feel their gazes on her, as though tendrils are creeping up her spine. _No, no, calm, calm! I'm sure they're nice people. They seem so._ Kaoru breathes out. _Yes, steady._

Fox’s home is decorated in a country style, all warm, inviting colours. The unusual orange tint of the lights colour Fox’s home similar to a fireplace would. Kaoru accidentally kicks the weaved rug and discreetly smoothens it out, hoping no one notices.

“Come,” invites the older brunette, petting the empty seat on the sofa. Kaoru hesitates, sliding her gaze over to where Fox is putting his satchel on the dining room table. She spies the blonde in the kitchen, pouring some water. Kaoru gulps, nodding, sitting down next to the dark woman.

The first thing she says is, “You’re doing great,” to which Kaoru blinks, though she can't deny the surge of pleasure that wells up inside her.

“Thank... y-you…?” Kaoru stammers, feeling flustered. Was this normal for Fox’s family, wherever they came from? _Still better than ripping me apart, but… this is weird._ The familiarity with which his mother peers at Kaoru seems a little more than what Fox’s mentioning her would have given.

The other woman exits the kitchen holding a tray, hissing “Julia!” as she draws near. Then she smiles at the still-confused Kaoru, offering her a glass of water. She accepts gratefully, but still she feels a little antsy. _So… it's not normal?_ Kaoru doesn't miss the meaningful looks the women swap, one a glare, one an apologetic look.

Well, her dad did always tell her to be polite, and so no matter how curious she is, Kaoru fights down the urge to ask and simply looks at the water she was offered. It's a nice glass, she supposes. Very transparent. “I’d like to thank you for your hospitality,” she says, smiling.

The blonde nods. “Fox, you’ve got yourself a keeper!”

Fox finally joins them, his shoes shuffling as he seeks to curl in on himself. She can sense the sheer nervousness radiates from his entire being as Fox awkwardly perches on the armrest of the couch. Perplexing Kaoru even further, he looks at her, then back at his parents with a glint in his eye.

“What's going on?” she whispers to said boyfriend who’s still huddled up there like some sort of bird.

The blonde clears her throat, and Kaoru startles. _So much for being polite,_ she thinks, an apology on the tip of her tongue.

“Um…” Fox looks at his parents, then nods. “Okay, so uh… my ma is like, like you, so I was uhhh, asking them for advice you're not mad are you?” He groans. “I shouldn't have done that, huh?”

Kaoru feels a bead of sweat travel down her temple. “Like me?” she asks weakly, though she knows with exact certainty what Fox means.

“Yeeeah.” Fox sounds guilty.

_Oh._ Kaoru isn't sure what to think, but her first instinct (that has been developed over many years) is to react in horror - they know, they _know_ , two more people know. And then, _it's alright, they understand… right?_

“I mean, you… you needed advice, I guess. So I really, I… I can't blame you,” Kaoru says to Fox, wanting to look at him but also not really. Torn, she settles for looking away, then at his parents. “If it's okay, can I know which of you?”

There's a smile forming on both their faces. “Andrea, did you hear that?” asks the brunette, delighted, taking her wife’s pale hands in her own. “She can't tell!”

“I told you it wasn't too late,” says the blonde haughtily.

“Right, right.” The brunette turns to face Kaoru, who watches the exchange with wide eyes. “It's me,” she explains, her smile brilliant and dazzling. “I'm sorry, when Fox told me that this girl he had met at school was trans as well - I was just so excited to finally meet you!”

“Oh, I… I, um.” Kaoru glances at Fox nervously. “So, you wanted to talk to me?” She can't seem to stop herself from squirming in her seat. The plush, soft cushions do nothing to mitigate her discomfort. _Why am I even nervous?_ Kaoru shakes her head internally. _It's because it's Fox’s mom, it's okay, no no no ahh._

“It's okay. Relax, dear. We don't need to go into detail if you're uncomfortable.”

“I, well -” Kaoru straightens her back and forces herself to smile, if only to alleviate everyone’s worries. “Yeah, thank you! I-I mean, well, yeah, someone understands, you don't think I'm weird -”

“Of course not!” The older brunette says warmly. “You'll always be welcome here. Of course, unless you hurt Fox -” she adds with a twinkle of mischief in her dark eyes.

“Ma, I told you I’ve known her for years now!” Fox finally speaks up. “Kaoru’s not like that!” To her pleasant surprise, she finds her boyfriend’s hand seeking out her own. _Warm._ Kaoru thinks she might be blushing again.

Fox’s parents look at each other, nod, and then stand up. “I think today’s been a bit of a shock for you,” the blonde says sympathetically. “Perhaps we should reserve our interrogation for later. We'll leave our son to take you on a tour of our humble abode.”

“Leave the bedroom door open now,” the darker woman teases, and Fox nearly crashes into the wall in his haste to drag Kaoru away. They scramble away, and soon Kaoru finds herself in the corridor, as tastefully carpeted as the living room.

“How was that?” Fox asks breathlessly, fixing her with his ice-blue gaze. Kaoru gets a proper, good look at her boyfriend for the first time in… an hour? Five minutes? He looks absolutely frazzled, eyes wide and short russet hair out of place.

“You okay?”

“Ugh, they're always like that! They want me to die of embarrassment one day, I swear!” Fox buries his head in his hands and slumps to the ground slowly.

Kaoru laughs, her tenseness finally dissipating. “Well, I'm still alive, so I think they liked me.”

“I think they adored you before they even saw you.” Fox pauses. “Okay, I don't know if should have told them, like, I was just kinda confused, but… you're not mad, right?”

Kaoru ponders it for some time, and there's still the familiar bitter thought of wishing she could just be a regular girl, maybe then she wouldn't have to be so stressed. Still, she supposes that Fox can't be expected to deal with something so familiar all by himself. 

“No, I'm okay. I don't think I could be mad at you for that. I'm not really angry, I was just... scared.” 

“Scared?”

Kaoru hugs herself, curling up against the wall as well. _We look like hobos._ “Yeah, it's… it’s always scary learning that yet more people know your secret.”

“I'm sorry -”

“No. Don’t be,” Kaoru interrupts. “I think, it's good, you know, now that I’m thinking, right? So I know there's someone else like me, you know. Maybe… maybe I can turn to them if I need help.”

“That's great,” Fox says, relieved. Seemingly deciding that enough wall-leaning is enough, he opens the wooden door nearest to them, introducing Kaoru to what looks like his study room. Fox plops down on a red foldable chair, leaning his elbows on the glass table, and after a moment’s hesitation, Kaoru follows suit.

“So do you think your parents like me?” Kaoru says in a conspiratorial whisper.

“I would have thought it pretty obvious.”

“Me too,” Kaoru admits. “I just… I just didn't want to get too far ahead of myself, misjudge people, I don't know… maybe asking them was a little too much?”

Fox laughs and shakes his head. “I doubt they thought you’re too much. My ma seemed pretty thrilled to me. They’re great, you know? They told me before that you can stop by here if you like. That is, if you don't think this dingy flat too small.”

“Too small?”

“Well, with that freaking _mansion_ Kona lives in -”

“You kid,” Kaoru says with a grin. “It's just a big house! Mr Hall always complains about the amount of housework involved. I like your place. It feels cozy, certainly someplace you’d call home.”

“I think I still like my home in Seville better,” Fox comments. “It’s nice and huge, and the pool - there’s lots of places nearby. Maybe when I go back there this break I can invite you along.”

“Invite… me?” Kaoru echoes, her palms suddenly sweaty, her heart thundering. “But… on a family vacation, to such a private place? _Me?_ Wouldn't we… wouldn't we need to be _married_?”

Fox gives Kaoru the blankest look known to mankind.

.

“Aww, Foxy, I think I heard the wedding bells chime!”

“ _Ma_!”


End file.
